August 9

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The Key to Stability in Treacherous Times

By Michael Q. Pink

August 9, 2022


“Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation. The fear of the Lord is His treasure.” (Isaiah 33:6)

We are witnessing an unprecedented assault on liberty and stability in America. It threatens your security, your future and your financial well being.

There is a tree called a “strangler fig”. A bird will eat its fruit and later excrete the seeds on a branch of another tree. That seed will send roots down to the ground to take water and nutrients that were originally supplying the host tree. Simultaneous to that, it send shoots of leaves up towards the sun and steals the light from the host.

Over a period of decades, the host tree, straining with fewer nutrients and less water, is gradually deprived of sufficient light to power and sustain itself.

Finally, it is completely engulfed by the strangler fig and becomes food for it as it is assimilated into the strangler fig’s structure. It dies, and no one remembers the beautiful tree it once was.

If that were to happen in a period of three days or thirty days, instead of thirty years, you’d run out of the forest screaming. Maybe you’d get an axe and chop away at the strangler choking out your beautiful tree.

But it happens slowly, slyly, over time.

Such is the time in which we live. Our liberties and stability are eroding like a sandy shore in a vicious storm.

When you see darkness advancing, remember: That is only possible when light retreats.

In the coming days of increasing instability, there is something Isaiah said would give us a steadfast, unwavering stability.

It is a non-negotiable.

First of all, it takes wisdom, but the Hebrew word for wisdom (hhakham) is much more than some kind of higher level of intelligence.

The “parent root” of “hhakham” is “hham” meaning “heat“. In the ancient Hebrew pictograph language this word was written with two symbols representing water and a door. The idea being that heat was used to separate water, as in evaporation. It also meant to separate the essential from what is not, the good from the bad, the useful from the useless, etc.

The Hebrew word for “cheese” and “skin bag” for example, has the same “parent root” (hham). That’s because they would put soured milk into a skin bag, lay it in the hot sun (heat), which would stimulate the natural enzymes to separate the water from the milk, leaving the desirable cheese.

Heat has a way of separating lots of things, such as silver from dross, the courageous from the cowardly, and the wise from the fools.

So this wisdom being spoken of, which is often translated as “skill” in the Old Testament, consists of the ability to separate what is needful and beneficial from what is not.

The market rewards the kind of wisdom that can separate fact from fiction, results from hype, mediocrity from excellence. In Matthew 13, Jesus spoke of separating the wheat from the tares and the good fish caught in a net from the bad which were discarded.

Separation in this fashion is your key to success. Cut away everything that holds you back from your walk with God and the destiny He has embroidered on your heart.

Men and women of skill, regardless of their trade have always been in high demand. You gain this skill or wisdom, by eliminating the practices that are not fruitful and perfecting those which are.

By focusing only on the good, the necessary and the potentially fruitful practices, you gain the kind of wisdom (skill) that puts you in high demand and gives you economic options not available to the average person, (which you once were).

This kind of wisdom (skill) puts you on the path towards stability.

But Isaiah adds to that, “knowledge”. The Hebrew word for that is “da’at“. The “parent root” “da“consists of two letters, which in the ancient pictographic language represented a tent door that moves back and forth and an eye.

The idea being, of an eye that moves back and forth, closely examining something resulting in a well examined, thorough and in-depth kind of knowledge, not a surface or shallow level of knowledge.

When you combine thorough, well examined, and by implication, well understood knowledge at an intimate level, with the wisdom and skill to separate what is appropriate from what is not, what will bear fruit from what won’t, etc., you will have found the key to stability.

But there’s more…

The Hebrew word for “stability” in this context means “steadfast and unwavering, firm and steady“. Pretty straightforward. It’s the next word, that if you can take it in, will blow your mind…

Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of YOUR TIMES. The word translated as “times” is actually not a word in Hebrew. It is a 2-letter combination that appears roughly 10,000 times in the Old Testament but is rarely translated.

We see it written as “et” in Strongs, but those two letters in Hebrew are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet (Aleph Tav). In Greek, it’s the Alpha and Omega. In Revelation 1:8, Jesus appeared to John and said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

Most likely he spoke to John in Aramaic which closely resembles Hebrew and He would have said, “I am the Aleph Tav, the beginning and the end.

The Alpeh Tav in Hebrew is a type of Divine imprimatur, indicating the presence and involvement of Jesus in whatever matter is being described.

In ancient days, it was widely understood that Aleph Tav translated as “times” were really, divinely orchestrated, perfectly timed circumstances and opportunities.

God brings YOU a steady stream of provision in the form of divinely orchestrated opportunities, but too often we don’t recognize them as such, or we’re too afraid to seize them. We think we’re not worthy or we’re not ready.

We have been made worthy by the blood of the Lamb, but that doesn’t make us ready.

We need the skillful wisdom that has been refined by separating the ineffective from the effectual, resulting in a level of excellence that can harness the deep knowledge we acquire, apply it to the divinely orchestrated opportunities God brings us and experience stability even in treacherous times.

This wisdom and knowledge is also the “strength of salvation“. The Hebrew word “strength” if often translated as wealth or riches. Salvation is often translated as deliverance or even prosperity.

This kind of wisdom (skill) combined with knowledge and applied to divinely times opportunities will not only provide stability in treacherous times, but also a rich abundance of deliverance and help when needed.

And finally, the key to all of this Isaiah reminds us, is the “fear of the Lord“, which as Solomon said, is the “hatred of evil” (Proverbs 8:13) and “the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10) “and knowledge“(Proverbs 1:7). God treasures that, so let’s give Him what is due!

Want more insights from Scripture that can improve your life, boost your career and grow your business? Join my brand new JESUS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Facebook group HERE.

I also welcome your comments either on this blog or inside my Facebook group where I will be teaching this LIVE at 10 AM Eastern TODAY (August 9th, 2022) which is coincidentally the true 9th of Av for those who follow that kind of thing.

Please like and share this post if you found it helpful using the social media links at the top of this blog.

Michael Q. Pink

About the author

Michael is America's leading authority on applying Biblical Wisdom and Natural Law to sales and business and has authored 19 books including The Bible Incorporated, Selling Among Wolves and God's Best Kept Secrets. Using that knowledge, he has helped thousands of professionals and entrepreneurs experience radical transformation in their lives and careers, including helping a start-up with 3 struggling sales reps turn the corner and become the 16th fastest growing company on the INC 500 list. 

  • Thanks for your exposition of this passage. Like so many other scriptural encouragements, it’s all about seeking Him first. What an awesome God we serve!

  • God bless you for this amazing insight. I respect your Godly wisdom and so I wish to ask a question on a different topic. Does wisdom call us to setup for ourselves a Rapture Will of our estate? Thank you for your anticipated feedback. Phylomena

  • Thank you Michael,
    I have been in a season of doubt. I somehow forgot the power and authority Christ has already given me when i operate with a heart for God. I’m reminded of something i once operated my life by, When i move in Faith in the power and authority he has already given me God also moves to match that faith.

    Along the way the enemy has embedded seeds of doubt and uncertainty in my life making me believe that the dreams i had were wrong for me to want and strive for. Being in God’s word and reading your books “God’s Best Kept Secrets” are waking me up again. I’m so thankful for you and the gift God has given you to communicate his principles.

    • Hi Joe… I think we all go through similar struggles at times. So glad God has encouraged you through my God’s Best Kept Secrets book series.

      Blessings, Michael

  • Thankyou again Michael. This definitely keeps us straight, giving us favor; wisdom, knowledge, understanding and the fear of the Lord. Excellent.

  • The instructions from the scripture given was so exhaustive….Thank you for the detailed work on it

  • Wonderful impartation. I seemed to get on. Maybe my status doesn’t impact. But it asked for a password. Is there a fee to be part of your group, etc. Pondering if this is for me. I love how and what you share and teach.

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